Coyote snatches dog from yard

KENNEBUNK — In the eyes of 10-year-old Ashley Robinson her dad, Tom, is a hero.

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By JENNIFER FEALS

seacoastonline.com

By JENNIFER FEALS

Posted Jul. 4, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Updated Jul 4, 2012 at 11:44 AM

By JENNIFER FEALS

Posted Jul. 4, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Updated Jul 4, 2012 at 11:44 AM

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Officials: People need to take precautions

KENNEBUNK — It's no secret that Maine is home to a variety of wildlife, but this spring residents have had to take precautions as a bear roamed through town, and now word comes of a coyote at...

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Officials: People need to take precautions

KENNEBUNK — It's no secret that Maine is home to a variety of wildlife, but this spring residents have had to take precautions as a bear roamed through town, and now word comes of a coyote attack.

Last week, a West Kennebunk family faced terror as their Jack Russell Terrier Tipper was attacked by a coyote, while other residents have reported hearing the animals howling, as well as snatching outdoor animals, like chickens. Tipper survived the attack and is at home healing.

Wildlife experts say it's not unusual to have coyotes and a variety of other wildlife in the area. But it is important for residents to keep up with the precautionary measures, like eliminating potential food sources from their yards, watching their pets while outdoors, and staying aware of their surroundings.

“Obviously coyotes are a part of our wildlife in Maine and they are opportunistic. Education is key here,” said Kennebunk Animal Control Officer Rebecca Parker, who added that Kennebunk can be home to many other animals as well, such as foxes and fisher cats. “I certainly want residents to be aware that we live in Maine with the wildlife and we are encroaching upon their territory and we need to take the extra precautions.”

Though the police department was notified of the coyote attack in West Kennebunk, they have not received other reports. Parker said the Maine Warden's Service has been notified of the coyotes in Kennebunk, and their standard procedure is to recommend a licensed trapper to the homeowner.

The police department said it wants residents to know to eliminate food sources outdoors, keep their garbage enclosed, and keep an eye on their pets when outdoors.

“You want to be more vigilant than most people have become when they see wildlife,” said Scott Lindsay, regional wildlife biologist for Southern Maine with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Coyotes are adaptable and opportunistic animals, Lindsay said, which generally can live anywhere and have become quite adept at living fairly close to humans. They are driven by food and like to eat small mammals, vegetation, and foods of human origin.

“They lose their fear because nothing bad happens to them. If they are rewarded by calories, they are going to stay there,” he said. “The problem is we have animals that certainly are capable of killing and often that is not a good mix when it becomes very habituated to people.”

Coyotes are generally an average of 30 pounds, with an 18- to 20-inch height range, with a fairly thin body build, and a consistent gray coat that is darker on the top and lighter on the bottom. They have a pointy muzzle and a “bottle brush” tail that is fairly long and heavily furred throughout, Lindsay said.

Understanding that coyotes are in the area, Lindsay said “I would always have a sense of awareness of what's going on around me.”

Though he can't remember the last time in Maine when a coyote made contact with a human, if that happens, Lindsay said to “make yourself appear to be as large as you can,” and back away slowly.

“It's a potential, but it's extremely unlikely,” he said. “Do not back down and slowly leave the scene. Make yourself appear as though you are not an easy target.”

While Lindsay said an attack like Tipper faced is unusual in Maine, Tipper is not the first dog to survive a coyote attack in recent years.

Kennebunkport resident Jim Fitzgerald, who is the president of the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel Chamber of Commerce, let his teacup yorkies, Binky and Asta, out in their backyard off of School Street just a couple of years ago, when Asta was attacked by a coyote. Fitzgerald said it was about 8:30 p.m. in September when the attack happened, and that it left Asta needing surgery to repair his insides, with puncture marks across his body and a broken leg.

“It was just awful,” Fitzgerald said. “We thought we were going to lose him. We said we're going to try, we'll try to save him. He's been a really cool dog every since. It did change his personality a little bit. If any big dog comes in, especially one with the same colors, he screams at the top of his lungs and runs in the other direction. These things have long-lasting memories.”

Coyotes can be hunted year-round in Maine, Lindsay said, adding that state law allows a homeowner to shoot a coyote on their property if they are causing harm or destruction, as long as there is no separate ordinance in their town.

Kennebunk's Firearm Discharge Ordinance does state it is unlawful to shoot or discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a residential or commercial structure, within 500 feet of any public or private school property, as well as within 500 feet of the town's parks, playgrounds and trails. An exception to the ordinance is people who discharge firearms to protect life or property.

KENNEBUNK — In the eyes of 10-year-old Ashley Robinson her dad, Tom, is a hero.

That sentiment is certainly true as well for Tipper, the family's 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier who is healing at her home on Stonington Place in West Kennebunk after Tom rescued her from the mouth of a coyote one week ago.

Though she's on anti-infection and pain medications for the broken ribs and puncture wounds across her neck, a gash down her back, and exploratory surgery following the attack, Tipper is happy to be home with her family, including mom Fiona and girls Ashley and Emily, both 10.

“To me, my daddy is a hero,” Ashley said.

It's a miracle the tiny Jack Russel terrier — a feisty and energetic member of the family who loves to play outside, enjoys meeting new people, and watches over her girls — survived the attack.

Now Tipper is helping to raise awareness as Kennebunk residents are hearing nightly howls and are noticing missing outdoor animals, such as chickens.

It was a regular night Thursday, June 28, when Tom and Fiona let Tipper outside just before bed around 10 p.m.

With a new floodlight in their back yard, Tom watched Tipper from the deck as she trotted into the yard just feet away, while Fiona finished up in the kitchen.

Tom said he was watching Tipper go to the bathroom, and the next thing he knew a coyote came “screaming” into the yard and his dog was gone.

With no shoes or socks on, Tom ran into the woods behind the family's home, following Tipper's cries. Fiona, who from the kitchen heard Tipper's yelping and Tom's screaming, grabbed the closest flashlight she could find and took off behind her husband, also in her bare feet.

“We were just distraught,” Fiona said. “We could hear her yelping.”

When Fiona heard her daughter crying at the house, she left Tom with the flashlight and went back. It was then that Tom came across three coyotes, one of them holding Tipper in its mouth.

Tom grabbed onto Tipper's hind end, her body still in the coyote's mouth, and shook.

The coyote shook back, but then dropped Tipper, who bolted back to her house, running up the stairs of the deck in front of Fiona, who had just made it back herself.

Immediately, they called 911 and then took Tipper to the Maine Veterinary Referral Center in Scarborough, where she underwent a critical care assessment.

Luckily, none of Tipper's major organs were punctured and she suffered no severe internal injuries. She was released from the animal hospital on the night of Sunday, July 1.

Fiona and Tom said they thought for sure they were going to lose Tipper at many points throughout the ordeal. During the drive, Fiona said she kept finding new, and what looked to be extensive, injuries on Tipper.

“We didn't think we were going to make it,” she said.

It was a heartbreaking and terrifying ordeal for Tom and Fiona, who got Tipper at 8 weeks old, just six months before getting pregnant with their twins.

She's been a part of the family since, and when faced with protecting his pooch, Tom said he didn't think twice.

“It's a violent thing to see how they take animals so fast, so quick and so hard. It was just a blinding thing,” Tom said.

A week after her ordeal, Tipper is in a lot of pain, is very tired, and seems afraid to go into the backyard, her family says, but she is on the mend.

The greatest risk for Tipper is infection, Fiona said, but each day that goes by, her chances of a full recovery get stronger.

“She was the first kid,” Fiona said. “She's a gem. It's hard to see her like this. She's always been so energetic, she likes to go outside.”

The Robinson's have brought their two outdoor cats, Stormy and Penny, inside — though against their felines' wishes — and say they will be keeping a proactive and watchful eye for quite some time.